You sir are an amazing teacher! Clear, concise, and to the point. I will be removing my rear wheel--something I have never done before--to install a custom rear fender. This is exactly what I needed to learn. Thank you!
Yep pinch point… I know a guy that got the tips of two fingers cut off when putting oil on his chain. Yep you guessed it, had it on a stand, in gear , rag wrapped around his fingers… got caught in the sprocket, chopped them babies right off !! Just a tip from your ole buddy Dave.. no pun intended… great information Steve , great video!
Ouch man...that dude had a bad day for sure! Back in my "chain" days...always spray and then clean up the mess...never grabbed the chain lol thats crazy
Great video. I bought a 02 Fatboy on 8-2023. I'm in the process of replacing the rear wheel after a new tire was put on. Just wanted to tell something that I came up with. I used a rachet strap over the seat to raise the wheel to install the axle. Worked well for me. Don't like wrenchin on my bike but I love saving the money 💰💰💰
The tape measure can be used as well but it can be deceiving if you dont have the exact center marked on the swing arm bolt...its super easy to fudge it one way or the other
I am installing new rims, tires and brakes on my 2012 Heritage now now. This video was a huge help. Like others have said, you are a great teacher. Thanks from a new subscriber.
Pinch points!! Very important detail!! Thank you for helping me retain a fingernail or two and having the wife run to the garage hearing me screaming!Thanks for the video AGAIN.
Thank you for these videos. Im an auto mechanic but fresh to working on Harleys. Ive owned a few low mileage ones i kept a year or so, but my softail will be lifetime
Sorry for the late reply..been at Sturgis. Thank you for checking it out! I originally got this bike to flip but im starting to think we will be keeping it lol
Excellent! I replaced both tires on my '08 Dyna yesterday and discovered the complexities of the rear. I have ordered both the alignment tool and the belt tension measuring tool from Amazon to double check myself (using the Service manual, I attempted to use alternative methods, which I think is pretty good but I wanted to be sure). Anyway, your video was clear, well-constructed and filmed and I found it really helpful. Liked and subscribed.
Thank u I have a softail myself and shop tighten belt to much. I just changed my tire on rear and this will help me very much and the alignment help is realy nice t u.
Please continue what you do explaining the way you do it is precise and easy to follow. Very few people on here have the capability that you have thank you very much..
Excellent job Steve! I’m going to have to study the chapter on the belt deflection gauge a few more times to understand it better. But I’m going to order the two gadgets and check the rear wheel that I just installed and new tire last season and my son and I aligned it all by eye, oops lol! Thanks again Steve!
Thank you! I just ordered these tools for my 2018 FLHCS. BTW, I scored a cd copy of my service manual. I like it. Thanks again for the valuable info here!
Awesome Paully! Heck yeah that thing will show you a ton of stuff thats super easy to do and save some bucks at HD every time! Thanks for checking out the video and the kind words. Have a happy new year my friend!
Thanks Gary...ME too! Still waiting on fed ex to deliver ...was supposed to be here the other day but they dropped the ball somewhere and I'm still waiting
I didn't have the alignment tool so I used a dial indicator that is mounted on a magnet. With indicator mounted to swingarm, I had runout of less than .005". Maybe overkill but wanted to be sure. Had to replace rear wheel bearings. Had the rear end wiggle. Luckily I was only doing 40.
I run my 2018 Harley Ultra belt real loose. About 3/4 inch total deflection with light finger pressure. Several reasons why are 1. less pressure on the rear axle bearings, and countershaft bearings, 2. the belt will give a little if a small stone gets in it, instead of puncturing the belt, and 3. when riding a passenger, it will not get excessively tight going over bumps. Also, after adjusting the rear axle alignment, I check that the belt is riding right down the center between the pulley flanges. If not, I adjust the axle accordingly to make that happen. Doing this for 15 years, and never had any belt problems.
Thank you dm10! On a side note I'm thinking about upgrading my dm10 studio kit to a rolands kit but whew the price! I would have to play one first...any experience on a rolands?
@@sikbaggers Hi Steve, played several Rolands over the years. depending on what you buy, they are a very nice kit, I enjoy the DM10 i have, but they certainly get better than this. play and ride on and thank you for the excellent videos.
Enjoyed the video very informative, as I just had to replace tube & yes saved a lot of $$$ doing it myself! Thanks for the great tips on how measure the axle to insure proper alignment!!
Sorry for the late reply, I just got back from Sturgis...check the rear pully and if its clean then its something on the front pully which is bit more difficult to get to for sure...check the alignment and make its not rubbing the pully at any point during the rotation.
As always a great video showing us how to maintain our bikes ourself. With a little time in the garage we all can do fairly straight forward preventative maintenance without paying the dealer or shop labor. I use your tips often as I work on my Harley touring bikes I feature on my RUclips channel. Ride safe 👊👍🇺🇸
Thank you for chekcing it out bro...always good when you can keep money in your pocket and also have the satisfaction of working on your own bike. Have a Happy New year, my friend!
Well I learned a little this morning. I'll share some torque wrench knowledge from the military. Before using the breakaway torque wrench it should be set at the max value it will be used at and broken 6 times to ensure all the gears are lubed properly and evenly. Also (according to military tech data) torque value changes with extensions, crows feet, and (I think) deep well sockets.
Thanks for all your videos - keep 'em coming. I have done this several times but now am getting that alignment tool, much easier. My first alignment, I used the build in gage on the stock belt cover, yeah, accurate huh? My many times since have actually used a belt tension gage, works great and better peace of mind. My '02 Road King (a classic now!), which I have had since . . . '02, seems to wear out the front tire sooner . . . but have replaced many rears myself which definitely requires an alignment check. Thanks again.
Very very nice video - message is clear, words are concise and pictures are clean. I own an Iron 883 but I think the logic is the same. Subscribed, liked and shared already ! Thanks again
just bought my 1st NEW 2023 soft tail standard. I am very surprised that there is NO gauge marks/indents on the ends were the axle bolts are for alignment. I am also shocked about the plastic intake manifold, no surprise that ordering an aluminium one from screaming eagle or S&S are back order only. thanks for this lesson on this.👍
yeah for the softails they make it a bit of a struggle to get everything lined up but its doable. And yes...I think HD expects you to replace the breather. I have changed a ton of them.
I'll do that for you on the upcoming wheel swap! I have to re do all this so that will be a great time to show that. Have a happy new year and be safe!
My 98 fatboy with 38K on it still has the factory original belt. It looks good but once I have to replace it I have a chain conversion kit sitting in my shop. A chain takes 20 minutes to change a belt is a deal and a half to change out. I,m 70 a new chain will last me as long as I can still ride.
Man....I wasn’t sure about you until I saw you use that crescent wrench for a hammer....I hauled ass and smashed that subscribe button and was hoping to be the “one” to roll you over to 100k, but no cigar.... great content!
hahaha yeah...all tools are universal! thank you for trying to break me over 100k I appreciate the sub! Getting close but still 70 away! We will get there eventually lol
Cheers for this info . Although I ride a Vulcan this info is very useful. I think my belt has been over tightened by the previous owner. Got the deflection tooland work shop manual so goner check ,but I suspect he did deflection without rotating the wheel 90 degrees and rechecking for tight spots. Thanks again mate
Thank you for reaching out and sharing your experience with me! I'm glad you found the information useful, even though you ride a Vulcan. Your suspicion regarding the previous owner over-tightening the belt without rotating the wheel 90 degrees and rechecking for tight spots seems plausible. By using the deflection tool and referring to the workshop manual, you're taking the right steps to address the issue.
This was the exact lesson that I needed. I'm replacing wheels/tires on my 2020 Softail Standard and was concerned about rear wheel alignment. Now if I could locate some my chrome belt guards, I'd be happy. Those are difficult to find.
Great video with great instruction. I will say however make sure you are checking your bike specific torque values in your H-D service manual. My 2001 Softail Duece for example you are not to tighten the axle nut to over 65 ft lbs. Doing so runs the risk of having your axle lock up on you.
Steve, do you have a video on doing this same adjustment on a 2020 Road Glide Limited.? Great videos Steve you do a great job, and when are you going to have some shirts available.?? Thanks
Hey Dave I dont have one right now on that ...but as soon as winter breaks and I can get some more bikes in here I w ill be doing different service tech videos on those bikes for the channel. The shirts im just waiting on my t shirt guy to let me know if they can get the amount I will need. He said the blacks hoodies are heard to get right now im assuming because of the pandemic ..so as soon as he gives me the go I will order some
Awesome video, love all your videos very informative and effective. Yea ,my belt is a tad loose also.. been running like that for a long time ,Rather have it loose than tight thank you very much
Are you measuring the tight spot or just anywhere on the belt? If your not on the tight spot you could be causing damage to seals and possibly bearings. This goes for chains also.
If you don't remove the tire an just tightening the belt, couldn't you put a sharpie mark on the top of the left side bolt make the adjustment, then do the exact same on the right side bolt?
@SIK Baggers oh absolutely. I was just trying to say to keep the adjustment bolts the same amt of turns to keep alignment as close as possible, then to use either the tool or the old 2 pencil trick.. excellent video brother
Great vid mate. clear and simple. Thank you. Been riding 45 years, but new to Harleys. Always been a tinkerer and prefer to do my own wrenching. Every vid I come across I learn a little more Harley specific knowledge to put in the bank. You answered 1 specific question ive had in mind. I wasnt sure about That small gap on one side of the belt & pulley. Now I know. Situation normal :)
If the alignment is even slightly off, could that cause a strange noise from the belt? I made an adjustment at my last service and now have this strange "whirling" like noise. Definitely a noise while "somethings" rotating. On a 22 lowrider s. Also noticed belt does hug outside of rear pulley, probably have a little more then a fingernails thickness gap between belt and pulley.
no it shouldnt ...being slightly off should not cause a noise...the belt will ride anywhere on that pully..all bikes are different ...some ride up against the inside while others ride against the outside and even center...as long as its not trying to jump off the pully you are good.
@sikbaggers I went for a long ride, got the belt nice and warm and applied some "chain wax" to the outside edge of the belt. Noise gone. However I did notice I can see some of the chain wax on the inside edge of the pulley, only thing I can think is that the aluminum pulley is expanding once heated up and it's causing a weird noise as the belt rotates "off" of the pulley. Very annoying sound it makes but can not find a solution to it. The chain wax and bar soap only works for a few days at a time
Quick question. Is my belt deflection gonna change when I adjust my rear suspension shocks on my softail? I adjusted them to raise my bike and to stiffen up more.
Nice video, kinda new to working on bikes personally, but while in the process of installing a Klock Werks benchmark stretched rear fender on my 2021 street bob, only to notice that my rear wheel is out of adjustment. Not to mention the bike was recently in for its 1K service, looks like ill be checking out more of your content.
Hey Steve, do you have any videos on pinning and depinning wire connections for handlebar controls/drive by wire throttle or how to snake a wire bundle through chiseled 14" x 2" bars? Saw on on KST Customs, looked fairly easy but somewhere along in the process no matter how many times I backed up the video I kept missed the part where he threaded the 2nd pull cable for the throttle and heated grips. First time doing a bar job.
Hey Joe the only video I haveon that is when I installed the road 56 customs bars on my RG...But I didn't have heated grips and they skipped that part because it's a huge pain the a$$! Pinning nad depinning is not much fun either to be honest. I used a paper clip but I really wish I had a depinning tool...You can pick them up on ebay.
@@sikbaggers Thanks Steve and yes it's an absolute pain in the a$$. Took me over ½ hour to get one of the long 2 pin connectors undone with a safety pin. The 4 pin flat connectors were more easier and the throttle was so/so.
I just did my bike and I will say if you don't want a headache then don't get mayhem bars. It took me 3 hours to get the wires thru them. Small chain and # 12 copper wire helped. Was a lot of push/pull only moving an 1/8 inch at a time.
@@stonergravy I was watching a Ryan Urlacher video and those guys suggested I go down to ACE hardware and get a steal cable that looks like a brake cable for bicycles. I think that's the #12 gauge wire you're speaking of. Another video showed a guy taking compressed air and blowing a string through and out the bars to help draw that cable through.
From the few I have worked on I found there are 2 size Molex pins, .062 and .093, so be sure to buy the correct tool. Not sure about your wire snaking issue, but if you are trying to snake through a tube, I have found that if I start a string on one end and put a vac hose on the other end the vac will suck the string through. And now you have a pulling string. Not sure if this will work in your application, but maybe helpful to others, and for other applications.
Good video, but I have a question. When checking for the 10LBs of pressure doe the belt need to be tight and I can get it? I have a Motion Pro Belt Tension Gauge, the big O-Ring I am not sure where it's suppose to be set on the outer part to check the Belt Deflection on a 2009 Harley Road King Classic. The Manual says 3/8-7/16, and I assume that is from the bottom of the debris deflector?
It would, if you back them out and start over and then accurately turn them exactly the same ...I would double check your work at least with a tape measure
I just got one of those alignment tools for my dyna for the rear wheel and I just wanted to know, I replaced the wheel bearings and rear tire about 200 miles ago but turns out after getting the alignment tool the rear tire was misaligned the whole time. Any chance to overthink if the bearings are bad now or am I overthinking it and the bearings should be good after only riding it for 200 miles that way.
If the wheel was way out of line the tire would have been wearing wrong and probably pretty noticeable but I dont know how long you had the old tire on there. you could check your wheel for any wobble or sloppiness by holding the tire and pushing and pulling on the bike..listen for any weird sounds and look for any movement at the spacer area. Only other way is to pull the wheel and stick your fingers in the bearing and turn them..see if it smooth and tight.
Great video. I got a quick question what about when your running air ride and deflection changes at different ride heights? Is that something I should worry about? Shotgun shock on 06 softail. Thanks in advance .
It will change the belt deflection when you lower and raise it..however set your deflection at ride height. If youre like me and lower my baggers while riding in town itll be fine..I do it all the time...but its in town..im not running balls to the wall there either...just remember when you have it outside of ride height its either looser or tighter...so just go easy on it
For rear axle alignment, would it be easier to go from the passenger peg on each side since your exhaust is in the way? Or is the idea that we can only guarantee that the swingarm bolt is accurate on both sides?
Yes there are several different places you could go from but I would measure with a tape before removing the rear axle to those places to make sure they are in the exact same place on both sides...its not unlike HD to move something from side to side a little...however your swing arm has to be dead center so that, of course, is the best place to check from.
Thank you Shawn...but no they dont..the touring models are a bit different. Your lower belt guard will have the sight hole for your bike...small vertical hole with lines next to it....the tension tool is the same but use the belt guard sight hole and the adjustment, depending on year will be done by adjusting the rear cams on your axle...Ill try to get one done for you guys soon as I need to replace my rear wheel on the RG before Sturgis
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Definitely refreshing having the Softail content. Since the world has went bagger crazy! Lol
agreed John...loking forward to doing plenty more videos on the softail! Have a safe and happy new year!
Agreed! Nothing against baggers. I went from softail to road glide back to softail. Different strokes for different folks
Love my Softail! She's an older girl but still showroom shape
Yes, very true. I agree!!! 2005 fatboy here!
Yeap buddy! It’s hard to find content for the softails.
Man what a difference watching a video of someone who knows what they are doing vs someone trying to figure it out!!! : )
Thank you Roy! Glad the video helped!
You sir are legend! I can't express the labor cost you have saved me. Thank you so much. People should like and sub just on principle alone.
Thank you for the kind words! Always good to hear we are helping..that's what its all about! Have a happy new year! btw love the name lol that's great
This is a very well laid out "how to" video. Thanks
Thank you Tim!
Just got my first Harley - love watching your stuff
Thats awesome John....welcome to the HD world! If you ever have any questions just hit me up. Be safe!
You sir are an amazing teacher! Clear, concise, and to the point. I will be removing my rear wheel--something I have never done before--to install a custom rear fender. This is exactly what I needed to learn. Thank you!
Thank you Ali! Once you do it a few times it becomes really easy. Glad the video helped you!
Yep pinch point… I know a guy that got the tips of two fingers cut off when putting oil on his chain. Yep you guessed it, had it on a stand, in gear , rag wrapped around his fingers… got caught in the sprocket, chopped them babies right off !! Just a tip from your ole buddy Dave.. no pun intended… great information Steve , great video!
Ouch man...that dude had a bad day for sure! Back in my "chain" days...always spray and then clean up the mess...never grabbed the chain lol thats crazy
Hey Steve thank you for awesome video on softails and information... The way you teach step by step is awesome and informative... again thank u
Thank you for checking it out Angel and the kind words. I hope you have a happy and safe new year!!
Sik.. How much you charge to install a rear tire softail 2019 Deluxe
Am near Fox lake IL
One of the best how-tos I’ve seen 👌 So helpful!!
Thank you! Much appreciated!
This video made me decide to put my heritage seat back on mine... i forgot how gorgeous it looks. Great video man
Awesome..I just purchased a slimmer seat for this one lol but ill hang on to my OEM stuff
@@sikbaggers That's EXACTLY what i did. Looks great but not near as comfy as the OME.
Great content. Easy to understand. I like the fact you are straight forward. Softails rule!
Appreciate the instruction, pulling my 87 FXST out of the corner of the garage and needed to check the belt and put tires on it.
Great video. I bought a 02 Fatboy on 8-2023. I'm in the process of replacing the rear wheel after a new tire was put on. Just wanted to tell something that I came up with. I used a rachet strap over the seat to raise the wheel to install the axle. Worked well for me. Don't like wrenchin on my bike but I love saving the money 💰💰💰
hey thats sounds like it worked pretty good and you got the job done and thats what matters!
Perfect. Thanks a lot and best regards from Germany.
thank you Michael!
Great video. All I had was a tape measure. It worked but that little tool you have is spot on. Thank you for the video. I replaced the wheel.
The tape measure can be used as well but it can be deceiving if you dont have the exact center marked on the swing arm bolt...its super easy to fudge it one way or the other
I am installing new rims, tires and brakes on my 2012 Heritage now now. This video was a huge help. Like others have said, you are a great teacher. Thanks from a new subscriber.
Very glad it helped steve!! And thank you for the sub!! Its greatly appreciated sir!
Pinch points!! Very important detail!! Thank you for helping me retain a fingernail or two and having the wife run to the garage hearing me screaming!Thanks for the video AGAIN.
Hey Clinton, yes sir learned that the hard way a long time ago...it hurt for days!!
The best instructions on adjusting the tension on the drive belt. Thanks!!!!
Youre very welcome...glad to help!
Good video my good sir! Concise with thorough instructions!
Thank you AL!
Thank you for these videos. Im an auto mechanic but fresh to working on Harleys. Ive owned a few low mileage ones i kept a year or so, but my softail will be lifetime
Sorry for the late reply..been at Sturgis. Thank you for checking it out! I originally got this bike to flip but im starting to think we will be keeping it lol
Im glad you showed belt tracking, so many videos only show the tension
yes...very important ..thanks for checking it out!
Excellent! I replaced both tires on my '08 Dyna yesterday and discovered the complexities of the rear. I have ordered both the alignment tool and the belt tension measuring tool from Amazon to double check myself (using the Service manual, I attempted to use alternative methods, which I think is pretty good but I wanted to be sure). Anyway, your video was clear, well-constructed and filmed and I found it really helpful. Liked and subscribed.
Thank you for watching and glad to help....the tools will greatly help getting it all lined out.
If you use a open end wrench you can count how many flats you turn the bolt when adjusting your belt
That’s exactly how I do it. Then I measure the distance between the frame and the bottom of the head of the bolt with the tip of the wrench.
Thank u I have a softail myself and shop tighten belt to much. I just changed my tire on rear and this will help me very much and the alignment help is realy nice t u.
Your very welcome Robert...Glad to help!
Great video! Thanks for the thorough explanation.
Thank you! Glad the video helped!
great informative video. Im about to check mine (08 Fatboy) and your instructions are so much clearer than others
Glad to help and thank you for the comment! Much appreciated!
Dude,..you keep hitting homeruns! I sure hope this Utube thing catches on. ! Mad skills explained elemantary for guys like me. ..Thanks again.
thank you Kris! Much appreciated!
Please continue what you do explaining the way you do it is precise and easy to follow. Very few people on here have the capability that you have thank you very much..
thank you very much for the comment and always glad to help!
Well done , needed to learn this , and easy to follow....thanks
thank you philip!
Excellent job Steve! I’m going to have to study the chapter on the belt deflection gauge a few more times to understand it better. But I’m going to order the two gadgets and check the rear wheel that I just installed and new tire last season and my son and I aligned it all by eye, oops lol! Thanks again Steve!
Thanks guys. Very clear and helpful.
Thank you Malc!
Thanks for the info and the part listing. SIK Baggers is my favorite channel!!!!!!
Thank you for this video. I was gonna take my 2018 softail in for belt tension and alignment, but after this video I’ll do it
Thats awesome Dan...I hope you got it lined out and saved some bucks!
Thank you! I just ordered these tools for my 2018 FLHCS. BTW, I scored a cd copy of my service manual. I like it. Thanks again for the valuable info here!
Awesome Paully! Heck yeah that thing will show you a ton of stuff thats super easy to do and save some bucks at HD every time! Thanks for checking out the video and the kind words. Have a happy new year my friend!
Thanks, Steve. Always very detailed and helpful. Looking forward to the wheel swaps video!
Thanks Gary...ME too! Still waiting on fed ex to deliver ...was supposed to be here the other day but they dropped the ball somewhere and I'm still waiting
Bonjour Steve. Très bonne vidéo. Merci
Salut Michel ! Merci de l'avoir consultée! Heureux d'avoir pu aider!
Great video! Even for us Roadstar guys
thank you Bud!!
I didn't have the alignment tool so I used a dial indicator that is mounted on a magnet. With indicator mounted to swingarm, I had runout of less than .005". Maybe overkill but wanted to be sure. Had to replace rear wheel bearings. Had the rear end wiggle. Luckily I was only doing 40.
I have always used a fishing weigh scale and a piece of string for the ten pounds and a ruler to measure.
awesome way to do it!
Thanks!
Thank you so much...much appreciated sir..and glad the video helped!
Thanks Steve. Hope you had a Merry Christmas and look forward to a happy new year.
Thank you!! and I hope you and yours have a safe and happy new years!!
New rider and found this very helpful. Thank you
Glad to help! Be safe!
I run my 2018 Harley Ultra belt real loose. About 3/4 inch total deflection with light finger pressure. Several reasons why are 1. less pressure on the rear axle bearings, and countershaft bearings, 2. the belt will give a little if a small stone gets in it, instead of puncturing the belt, and 3. when riding a passenger, it will not get excessively tight going over bumps. Also, after adjusting the rear axle alignment, I check that the belt is riding right down the center between the pulley flanges. If not, I adjust the axle accordingly to make that happen. Doing this for 15 years, and never had any belt problems.
Thank you, this was just what I needed!
Glad to have helped sir!
Thanks Steve, you make it easy to understand.
Thank you dm10! On a side note I'm thinking about upgrading my dm10 studio kit to a rolands kit but whew the price! I would have to play one first...any experience on a rolands?
@@sikbaggers Hi Steve, played several Rolands over the years. depending on what you buy, they are a very nice kit, I enjoy the DM10 i have, but they certainly get better than this. play and ride on and thank you for the excellent videos.
Enjoyed the video very informative, as I just had to replace tube & yes saved a lot of $$$ doing it myself! Thanks for the great tips on how measure the axle to insure proper alignment!!
Glad the video helped you! thats what its all about..saving that money!
Thank you Steve. Just have to go through my drive belt something really eating my belt.
Sorry for the late reply, I just got back from Sturgis...check the rear pully and if its clean then its something on the front pully which is bit more difficult to get to for sure...check the alignment and make its not rubbing the pully at any point during the rotation.
@@sikbaggers Thank you Steve, sure will do that. Hope you had fun at Sturgis. Saw your videos, couldn't comment, to busy working, truck driver.
Very helpful, all the information you could want. Great video
Thank you Simon..glad the video helped ! Be safe.
Great video Steve! Thanks! Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Thank you Kevin! We had a great Christmas and looking forward to our up coming year! I hope you and yours have a happy and safe new year bro!
As always a great video showing us how to maintain our bikes ourself. With a little time in the garage we all can do fairly straight forward preventative maintenance without paying the dealer or shop labor. I use your tips often as I work on my Harley touring bikes I feature on my RUclips channel. Ride safe 👊👍🇺🇸
Thank you for chekcing it out bro...always good when you can keep money in your pocket and also have the satisfaction of working on your own bike. Have a Happy New year, my friend!
@@sikbaggers Thanks
Well I learned a little this morning. I'll share some torque wrench knowledge from the military. Before using the breakaway torque wrench it should be set at the max value it will be used at and broken 6 times to ensure all the gears are lubed properly and evenly. Also (according to military tech data) torque value changes with extensions, crows feet, and (I think) deep well sockets.
Thanks for all your videos - keep 'em coming. I have done this several times but now am getting that alignment tool, much easier. My first alignment, I used the build in gage on the stock belt cover, yeah, accurate huh? My many times since have actually used a belt tension gage, works great and better peace of mind. My '02 Road King (a classic now!), which I have had since . . . '02, seems to wear out the front tire sooner . . . but have replaced many rears myself which definitely requires an alignment check. Thanks again.
thanks for checking it out Don! For the price they do come in handy...pretty quick check and makes it go smoother.
I actually took a paint pen and marked one of the flats on the axle adjustment bolt. Makes keeping track of the location of the bolt much easier.
You can also make an alignment gauge out of a coat hanger or similar piece of wire and a zip tie. Works really well.
yes sir...good tips!
Awesome video! This helped me so much! Thank you!
Sorry for the late reply, I just got back from Sturgis...thank you for checking it out and Im glad the video helped!
very well explained video, nice greetings from Germany
glad to help!
Great content 👌.
Thank you
Thank you very much
Youre very welcome Jerry!
Very very nice video - message is clear, words are concise and pictures are clean. I own an Iron 883 but I think the logic is the same. Subscribed, liked and shared already ! Thanks again
thank you for checking it out and the kind words..much appreciated!
Thanks Steve for giving us all your intel. Always looking for your videos. Happy New Year to you and your family
Thank you Pat! I hope you guys have a happy and safe new year!!
just bought my 1st NEW 2023 soft tail standard. I am very surprised that there is NO gauge marks/indents on the ends were the axle bolts are for alignment. I am also shocked about the plastic intake manifold, no surprise that ordering an aluminium one from screaming eagle or S&S are back order only. thanks for this lesson on this.👍
yeah for the softails they make it a bit of a struggle to get everything lined up but its doable. And yes...I think HD expects you to replace the breather. I have changed a ton of them.
I appreciated the hell out of you too thank you
Glad the video helped!
I wish you had demonstrated the string and pencil technique. But great video.
I'll do that for you on the upcoming wheel swap! I have to re do all this so that will be a great time to show that. Have a happy new year and be safe!
Invaluable information ,thank you from England.
youre very welcome paul!
Good stuff...thank you sir
Thanks for checking it out Michael! be safe!
My 98 fatboy with 38K on it still has the factory original belt. It looks good but once I have to replace it I have a chain conversion kit sitting in my shop. A chain takes 20 minutes to change a belt is a deal and a half to change out. I,m 70 a new chain will last me as long as I can still ride.
i agree..if you have the chance to chain it then I would do it
Great video
Thank you Mike! Have a safe and happy new years!
Man....I wasn’t sure about you until I saw you use that crescent wrench for a hammer....I hauled ass and smashed that subscribe button and was hoping to be the “one” to roll you over to 100k, but no cigar.... great content!
hahaha yeah...all tools are universal! thank you for trying to break me over 100k I appreciate the sub! Getting close but still 70 away! We will get there eventually lol
Cheers for this info .
Although I ride a Vulcan this info is very useful.
I think my belt has been over tightened by the previous owner.
Got the deflection tooland work shop manual so goner check ,but I suspect he did deflection without rotating the wheel 90 degrees and rechecking for tight spots.
Thanks again mate
Thank you for reaching out and sharing your experience with me! I'm glad you found the information useful, even though you ride a Vulcan. Your suspicion regarding the previous owner over-tightening the belt without rotating the wheel 90 degrees and rechecking for tight spots seems plausible. By using the deflection tool and referring to the workshop manual, you're taking the right steps to address the issue.
This was the exact lesson that I needed. I'm replacing wheels/tires on my 2020 Softail Standard and was concerned about rear wheel alignment. Now if I could locate some my chrome belt guards, I'd be happy. Those are difficult to find.
Excellent video, well explained!!! Thanks big time for posting. 👍
youre very welcome john!
I enjoy your informative videos and humor
thank you for checking out the video and the kind words. much appreciated.
Thx man🤙
Youre welcome Bart!
Great video with great instruction. I will say however make sure you are checking your bike specific torque values in your H-D service manual. My 2001 Softail Duece for example you are not to tighten the axle nut to over 65 ft lbs. Doing so runs the risk of having your axle lock up on you.
yes..always important to check your service manual...the videos I do and torque specs are for the bike im using at the time for the video.
Steve, do you have a video on doing this same adjustment on a 2020 Road Glide Limited.? Great videos Steve you do a great job, and when are you going to have some shirts available.?? Thanks
Hey Dave I dont have one right now on that ...but as soon as winter breaks and I can get some more bikes in here I w ill be doing different service tech videos on those bikes for the channel. The shirts im just waiting on my t shirt guy to let me know if they can get the amount I will need. He said the blacks hoodies are heard to get right now im assuming because of the pandemic ..so as soon as he gives me the go I will order some
@@sikbaggers Thanks Steve, I will be looking forward to seeing them soon we all hope.
Awesome video, love all your videos very informative and effective. Yea ,my belt is a tad loose also.. been running like that for a long time ,Rather have it loose than tight thank you very much
yeah slightly loose inst a terrible thing...way better than too tight for sure. youll be fine. thanks for checking out he video!
Are you measuring the tight spot or just anywhere on the belt? If your not on the tight spot you could be causing damage to seals and possibly bearings. This goes for chains also.
As per the service manual " : Fit belt cradle (2) against bottom
of drive belt half-way between drive pulleys."
If you don't remove the tire an just tightening the belt, couldn't you put a sharpie mark on the top of the left side bolt make the adjustment, then do the exact same on the right side bolt?
technically yes...but please check it with a belt deflection tool afterwards.
@SIK Baggers oh absolutely. I was just trying to say to keep the adjustment bolts the same amt of turns to keep alignment as close as possible, then to use either the tool or the old 2 pencil trick.. excellent video brother
Good man! thank you for you teachings..learning a lot.
Thank you for checking it out Rafael!
Great vid mate. clear and simple. Thank you.
Been riding 45 years, but new to Harleys.
Always been a tinkerer and prefer to do my own wrenching.
Every vid I come across I learn a little more Harley specific knowledge to put in the bank.
You answered 1 specific question ive had in mind.
I wasnt sure about That small gap on one side of the belt & pulley.
Now I know. Situation normal :)
Excellent videos I am thinking of buying a softail these are extremely helpful thank you
thank you...the softail is a great platform to take in a many different ways as far as customizing and just a good overall bike to ride
I just thought the orange bike on the floor was a snowmobile ! 😅 Nice video
If the alignment is even slightly off, could that cause a strange noise from the belt? I made an adjustment at my last service and now have this strange "whirling" like noise. Definitely a noise while "somethings" rotating. On a 22 lowrider s. Also noticed belt does hug outside of rear pulley, probably have a little more then a fingernails thickness gap between belt and pulley.
no it shouldnt ...being slightly off should not cause a noise...the belt will ride anywhere on that pully..all bikes are different ...some ride up against the inside while others ride against the outside and even center...as long as its not trying to jump off the pully you are good.
@sikbaggers I went for a long ride, got the belt nice and warm and applied some "chain wax" to the outside edge of the belt. Noise gone. However I did notice I can see some of the chain wax on the inside edge of the pulley, only thing I can think is that the aluminum pulley is expanding once heated up and it's causing a weird noise as the belt rotates "off" of the pulley. Very annoying sound it makes but can not find a solution to it. The chain wax and bar soap only works for a few days at a time
Excellent tutorial. Thanks!
Quick question. Is my belt deflection gonna change when I adjust my rear suspension shocks on my softail? I adjusted them to raise my bike and to stiffen up more.
yes, anytime you raise or lower your bike it will tighten or lossen the belt and you should check the defelction afterwards and adjust.
Nice video, kinda new to working on bikes personally, but while in the process of installing a Klock Werks benchmark stretched rear fender on my 2021 street bob, only to notice that my rear wheel is out of adjustment. Not to mention the bike was recently in for its 1K service, looks like ill be checking out more of your content.
Good easy to understand video!
Hey Steve, do you have any videos on pinning and depinning wire connections for handlebar controls/drive by wire throttle or how to snake a wire bundle through chiseled 14" x 2" bars?
Saw on on KST Customs, looked fairly easy but somewhere along in the process no matter how many times I backed up the video I kept missed the part where he threaded the 2nd pull cable for the throttle and heated grips.
First time doing a bar job.
Hey Joe the only video I haveon that is when I installed the road 56 customs bars on my RG...But I didn't have heated grips and they skipped that part because it's a huge pain the a$$! Pinning nad depinning is not much fun either to be honest. I used a paper clip but I really wish I had a depinning tool...You can pick them up on ebay.
@@sikbaggers
Thanks Steve and yes it's an absolute pain in the a$$.
Took me over ½ hour to get one of the long 2 pin connectors undone with a safety pin.
The 4 pin flat connectors were more easier and the throttle was so/so.
I just did my bike and I will say if you don't want a headache then don't get mayhem bars. It took me 3 hours to get the wires thru them. Small chain and # 12 copper wire helped. Was a lot of push/pull only moving an 1/8 inch at a time.
@@stonergravy
I was watching a Ryan Urlacher video and those guys suggested I go down to ACE hardware and get a steal cable that looks like a brake cable for bicycles.
I think that's the #12 gauge wire you're speaking of.
Another video showed a guy taking compressed air and blowing a string through and out the bars to help draw that cable through.
From the few I have worked on I found there are 2 size Molex pins, .062 and .093, so be sure to buy the correct tool. Not sure about your wire snaking issue, but if you are trying to snake through a tube, I have found that if I start a string on one end and put a vac hose on the other end the vac will suck the string through. And now you have a pulling string. Not sure if this will work in your application, but maybe helpful to others, and for other applications.
I really like your show I'm from Seneca SC 👍🇺🇸
Thank you Robbie! Much appreciated sir!
Good video, but I have a question. When checking for the 10LBs of pressure doe the belt need to be tight and I can get it? I have a Motion Pro Belt Tension Gauge, the big O-Ring I am not sure where it's suppose to be set on the outer part to check the Belt Deflection on a 2009 Harley Road King Classic. The Manual says 3/8-7/16, and I assume that is from the bottom of the debris deflector?
Sorry for the late reply, I just got back from Sturgis...yeah man...click click click click....BRO...one click! lol
THANK YOU VERY PROFESSIONAL INFO THANK YOU RIDE ON HAPPY NEW YEAR 2023,,, ENJOY
Why wouldn't the same amount of turn on the adjustment bolt of the other side keep the rear axle straight?
It would, if you back them out and start over and then accurately turn them exactly the same ...I would double check your work at least with a tape measure
@@sikbaggers Haha, hell yes brother, exactly what I was thinking after the post...thx
I just got one of those alignment tools for my dyna for the rear wheel and I just wanted to know, I replaced the wheel bearings and rear tire about 200 miles ago but turns out after getting the alignment tool the rear tire was misaligned the whole time. Any chance to overthink if the bearings are bad now or am I overthinking it and the bearings should be good after only riding it for 200 miles that way.
If the wheel was way out of line the tire would have been wearing wrong and probably pretty noticeable but I dont know how long you had the old tire on there. you could check your wheel for any wobble or sloppiness by holding the tire and pushing and pulling on the bike..listen for any weird sounds and look for any movement at the spacer area. Only other way is to pull the wheel and stick your fingers in the bearing and turn them..see if it smooth and tight.
Do I need to change my back wheel if I put a 21 inch wheel on the front can I keep stock wheel on the back or do I have to go to 18 inch wheel
you do not have to change the back wheel
Thanks for the video!!!
You got it! Glad the video helped.
Great video. I got a quick question what about when your running air ride and deflection changes at different ride heights? Is that something I should worry about? Shotgun shock on 06 softail. Thanks in advance .
It will change the belt deflection when you lower and raise it..however set your deflection at ride height. If youre like me and lower my baggers while riding in town itll be fine..I do it all the time...but its in town..im not running balls to the wall there either...just remember when you have it outside of ride height its either looser or tighter...so just go easy on it
Hi Steve can you tell me why my rear tire leans to the right to the left on the bottom to the right at the top how do I fix that with the swingarm
if its a spoke wheel and when you turn it, it stays leaned in the same direction then the spokes are not true
For rear axle alignment, would it be easier to go from the passenger peg on each side since your exhaust is in the way? Or is the idea that we can only guarantee that the swingarm bolt is accurate on both sides?
Yes there are several different places you could go from but I would measure with a tape before removing the rear axle to those places to make sure they are in the exact same place on both sides...its not unlike HD to move something from side to side a little...however your swing arm has to be dead center so that, of course, is the best place to check from.
@@sikbaggers Agree. Swing arm should be dead nuts in alignment, so a good reference point. Pegs are no where near as critical. They're pegs.
Hey Steve, thanks for the good work you do love the channel. My question is, do these tools and Procedures apply to touring models also?
Thank you Shawn...but no they dont..the touring models are a bit different. Your lower belt guard will have the sight hole for your bike...small vertical hole with lines next to it....the tension tool is the same but use the belt guard sight hole and the adjustment, depending on year will be done by adjusting the rear cams on your axle...Ill try to get one done for you guys soon as I need to replace my rear wheel on the RG before Sturgis
Awesome man! Thanks. Love the channel keep up the good work. Mine is an 09 ultra classic.
Is it normal the belt kind of stay slight the the right end of the pulley ? I cant get the belt on right center of the pulley 😟
yes..it is absolutely ok for it to run it left or right of center...as long as the belt is running true and not trying to jump off youre fine.
@@sikbaggers thank you for replying 🙏🏼
big help thank you
youre very welcome..glad to help!